Gao Shen's reputation as a devil coach was long established.
Even if the current Real Madrid players hadn't experienced it firsthand, they had surely heard the stories.
Especially with players like Di María, who had gone through intense pre-season training under him, the series of "horror stories" had already circulated through the locker room.
But hearing and experiencing are two very different things.
When Gao Shen officially took over as Real Madrid's head coach and launched the summer training camp, the terrifying atmosphere could be felt right from the very first training session on the first morning.
By the end of the day, the players were already drained.
Many people say that Mourinho's training intensity was high, but compared to Gao Shen's, it was nothing.
Yet, this kind of fatigue was different. It wasn't just physical—it was deeper.
In terms of duration, each training session was 90 minutes, no longer than anyone else's. As for the training content, there didn't seem to be anything particularly special, and every drill had reasonable rest intervals.
It all seemed scientific and well-structured, right?
But somehow, after every single drill, the players still felt completely wiped out.
Gradually, they figured out the reason.
The highly professional coaching staff focused heavily on details and execution, requiring every player to give 100% effort and stay fully concentrated throughout.
Combined with the scientifically connected training sequences, the sessions didn't seem intense on the surface, but once players moved from drill to drill, the accumulated fatigue became overwhelming.
What was even more terrifying was that there was no room for protest.
If someone said they were worried about injury, a member of the coaching team would immediately step in to explain the science behind the drill, which muscle groups were involved, and why there was no risk of injury.
In short, there was always scientific evidence to reassure the players. "Don't worry, we're monitoring the intensity."
And sure enough, after several days of training, no one got injured.
Even those players with recurring issues were given tailored programs by the coaching staff. Except for sitting out a few drills, they trained alongside the team. Miraculously, none of them had relapses. Some even showed signs of recovery.
It was truly bizarre.
But the most frustrating part was the long-distance running at the end of every session, arranged by Pintus, which was absolutely soul-crushing.
That bald Italian definitely wasn't a good guy. He tortured the players while feeding them dreams of glory.
"Do you know why Napoli players were so good at running back then?"
"Do you know how Manchester City managed to fight on four fronts last season, win seven trophies, and dominate in the Champions League final?"
"I'll tell you why. These long runs after training aren't just about building stamina. More importantly, they build your mental toughness. Don't slack off. Your boss is watching you through the cameras. He doesn't want players with weak minds."
"Come on, everyone! Stay focused! Faster! Sprint!"
The players were absolutely devastated.
Damn, this coaching staff were the kings of selling dreams.
…
Every player at Real Madrid was either a global superstar or one of the most promising young talents in world football.
Such players were almost always highly skilled and tactically aware.
In fact, anyone who could join Real Madrid didn't have issues with ability. The key was whether the tactics allowed them to showcase that ability.
Gao Shen held tactical meetings for the players between daily training sessions, focusing on instilling his own tactical philosophy, or letting his assistants explain the theories behind each training drill, with particular attention to details and objectives.
Gao Shen often used video analysis to explain his entire tactical framework and defensive system.
Each Real Madrid player was individually brilliant. To be honest, even without a coach, they could be thrown onto the pitch and still produce strong attacking performances.
So, for a team like this, the focus should be on defense.
Improve the defense, and the team's overall competitiveness improves.
In recent years, Real Madrid's defense had always been seen as unreliable—because it lacked a systematic structure.
During Mourinho's two years in charge, the defense was good, but still not quite enough.
Moreover, Gao Shen's current defensive approach differed from Mourinho's.
The Portuguese preferred a more conservative strategy—solid defending and counterattacking. As soon as the ball was lost, the team would drop back quickly. Gao Shen, on the other hand, implemented a high pressing system, initiating counter-pressing immediately after losing possession.
This required the backline to push higher, which opened up more space behind the center-backs, increasing the risk.
So how to prevent getting exposed?
From front to back, the nearest player to the ball had to immediately apply pressure, delay the opponent's counterattack, and try to win the ball back as quickly as possible.
Another distinctive feature of Gao Shen's tactics was frequent switching of play.
For instance, in one tactical session, Gao Shen paused the training and asked everyone to freeze. He personally stepped onto the pitch to demonstrate player positioning, movements, and how to switch play.
At Bayern Munich, Toni Kroos played mainly as an attacking midfielder. His best spell was at Leverkusen, where he operated as a left-sided attacking midfielder, essentially an advanced playmaker cutting in from the wing.
Why?
Because he's right-footed.
Marcos Alonso, tall and strong, had great technique and solid defensive ability, but was a little slow.
But that's relative.
On the pitch, the difference in individual speed isn't as exaggerated as the numbers shown in Football Manager.
In many situations, if he gets a good start, even Marcos Alonso—whose speed rating might be only 11—could outrun Ronaldo.
And the Spanish defender had decent flexibility.
In Marcelo's absence, Gao Shen deployed Marcos Alonso as the left-back. His instructions were clear: push forward as much as possible and join the attack.
What about cover behind him?
Xabi Alonso, Ramos, Pepe, and others would track back to provide support.
Toni Kroos would also shift over to help.
This created a three-man offensive setup on the left flank, and sometimes even the striker would join in.
If the left-wing attack drew too much defensive attention and couldn't break through?
Toni Kroos needed to move into open space and find a favorable angle. When receiving the ball, he had to face the center, keep his right foot away from the defender's reach, then deliver a long diagonal pass to the right side, looking for the right winger or overlapping full-back.
This kind of switch often created attacking chances on the right.
Conversely, if there was no threat on the right, they'd attract the defense and switch back to the left.
With constant switching, the opponent's defensive structure would eventually show gaps. Real Madrid's players, with their excellent off-the-ball movement and ability to seize chances, would then deliver a fatal blow.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso played a key role with his long passes.
Everyone knew the Spanish midfielder had excellent vision and passing ability, especially long passes and shots from distance.
But he wasn't great under pressure and struggled to escape tight marking.
No problem. Gao Shen had him play as a single defensive midfielder. When the full-backs pushed up, he would drop deep as a fixed receiving point—much like a traditional number 4.
No team would waste several players pressing someone who'd dropped so deep, practically next to the center-backs.
So do they still maintain their defensive shape?
Initially, Gao Shen had concerns. Could Toni Kroos, Modric, and Xabi Alonso really handle defensive duties?
But after repeated simulations and data analysis with the coaching staff, the conclusion was: yes, they could. As long as the team applied enough pressure in midfield and up front, it was feasible for Xabi Alonso to be the sole defensive midfielder.
In fact, when Ancelotti led Real Madrid to the Champions League title, Xabi Alonso played in a midfield three alongside Modric and Di María.
When Gao Shen was at Napoli, he used Biglia and Rakitic as a double pivot.
Over and over again, facts had proven that with a well-organized defensive system, even technical players could defend.
As for Modric, he was two-footed and played on the right side of midfield. He wasn't just a stable passing option—his dribbling could also spark attacks down the right.
With the left already strong, and Modric and Di María on the right, whether it was Arbeloa or Carvajal at full-back, both were capable of supporting the attack.
At the very least, Arbeloa had shown his attacking threat during the European Championship.
More importantly, Toni Kroos had steady distribution, Modric controlled tempo and carried the ball well, and Xabi Alonso had superb vision and organization.
This midfield gave Real Madrid complete control and endless attacking options.
The concept was excellent, but reality had its challenges.
Toni Kroos was fine. His style looked simple, but he had high individual ability. He'd played as a left-sided playmaker at Leverkusen and later as a left midfielder. He could adapt without problems.
But Modric, Xabi Alonso, the full-backs, and the two center-backs all had to make major adjustments. They needed time to adapt and build chemistry.
That required more training and more warm-up matches.
Gao Shen also used spare moments during training to chat with the players, listen to their complaints, answer their questions, or check in on their life in Madrid and help solve any issues.
Time passed during these busy, intense, and rewarding training days.
The players gradually adapted to the intensity imposed by Buenaventura and Pintus. And with continued effort, they began to feel changes and improvements in their physical condition.
After two weeks of training at Valdebebas, the team finally played their first warm-up match.
(To be continued.)